Take a Chance on Me
by sfgirljan
Summary: This is a Criss/Colfer story, taking place immediately after the EW photoshoot.  Beta'd by my friend Julie. Please be kind :-


Take a Chance on Me

By: SFGirlJanProductions

"Okay guys, that's a wrap; great job!"

Darren and Chris were at Entertainment Weekly for their cover photoshoot and were still posed in their final position, with Chris sitting between Darren's legs on a couch and looking up at him adoringly.

They stayed in this position but infinitely more casual as they watched everyone around them moving equipment out of the room.

They asked if they could hang out there for a little while before leaving and were told they could. Soon they were the only ones left in the room.

They talked about this and that, apparently in no rush to leave yet.

As they chatted, Darren unbuttoned his Dalton Academy blazer and laid it across the back of the couch and removed his tie; Chris did the same with his bowtie and unbuttoned his collar; both gave a sigh of relief and simultaneously said, "Much better!"

They laughed and continued talking as Darren began massaging Chris' shoulders absentmindedly.

Chris sighed and visibly relaxed, enjoying the feel of Darren's strong, callused fingers unkinking the knots of tension he wasn't aware he had.

Chris slid down a bit and lay back, closing the gap between him and Darren and unknowingly laid his head back against Darren's, um, _lap_.

Darren froze for a second when he felt the back of his head *_there_.* He then relaxed but a wild, fleeting image of Chris turning around, looking up into his eyes and taking care of his intimate needs caused a rapid, visceral reaction and he shifted slightly so Chris wouldn't notice.

But Chris did notice and decided to play a little by leaning back even more with a fake yawn and stretch, causing the back of his head to rub against him, languorously.

Darren leaned in closer and whispered hotly in Chris' ear, "Having fun?"

Chris turned his head up to look Darren in the eyes, giving him the same innocent look from the photoshoot and said, "I have no idea what you mean," and then rested his arms across the top of Darren's thighs, hands on his knees and squeezed them while letting out a breathy sigh.

Darren closed his eyes out of want and confusion; he'd always been a touchy-feely person, regardless of gender or orientation but longing for other men had never been an issue, at least not until he met Chris; there was something about him, so honest and open and funny and sarcastic. They worked well together and yes, they flirted; it just came naturally to both of them and neither thought anything of it because they flirted with EVERYONE!

But lately Darren noticed he was flirting more with Chris than anyone else; more innuendo, more teasing, loving how Chris gave as good as he got. He was quick with a comeback and it became a challenge to see if he could actually get the upper hand with Chris, to see if he could make him speechless.

So he formulated a plan and it would start with the photoshoot.

Chris had a pretty good idea what Darren was up to and because of that, and curiosity, he upped the ante from flirty words to flirty actions; how far would Darren be willing to go, he wondered? He was about to find out….

After Chris squeezed Darren's knees, Darren slowly slid his hands from Chris' shoulders, down his arms and lightly stroked Chris' hands, massaging his fingers slowly.

Both of them felt a spark when their fingers meshed.

Darren lifted Chris' left hand and kissed each knuckle, then turned his palm up and softly dropped a kiss on the inside of his hand, slyly teasing the palm with the tip of his tongue.

Chris kept perfectly still, showing no response, except for a little shiver that Darren didn't notice.

Chris, in turn, lifted Darren's right hand to his mouth and began to suck his middle finger, wrapping his tongue around it, and releasing it with a pop. "_Take that, Mr. Criss_," he thought.

Darren gulped, his heart racing.

He broke his hands away from Chris. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he tipped Chris' head back to give him full access to his neck and lightly stroked his throat, placing soft, wet kisses to it.

As much as he was enjoying this and he _was_, Chris realized things had gone too far.

So as difficult as it was, he pulled himself away from Darren, gently asking him to please stop.

Darren's hazel eyes were blown out with lust and he looked perturbed at the interruption.

He asked, "Why did you stop me, Chris? Weren't you enjoying it?"

Chris laughed shakily and replied, "Yes, a little too much, perhaps."

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Look, all of this has been fun, really, but we both need to keep in mind one little fact; you're straight, or so you keep telling people. So which is it? Because I don't want to be your little experiment down the yellow brick road. I deserve better than that. I'm not angry at you, Darren, this has been my fault as much as yours," he choked out.

Darren gaped, and then closed his mouth, too abashed to speak. And he started to feel guilty, because he knew Chris was right.

He took a deep breath before trusting himself to speak.

Facing Chris and taking both hands in his, he said, "You're absolutely right, you do deserve better. You deserve someone who will love you the way you should be loved, with their whole heart and soul. And until I can figure out where my head is at, that isn't me, _yet_. I *do* love you, Chris, and am obviously attracted to you, if you couldn't tell," he said shyly.

Here he stopped and raised Chris' hands to his lips and asked, "Is this okay?"

Chris nodded, too choked up to speak.

Darren kissed the back of Chris' hands sweetly, while looking him directly in the eyes.

Electricity crackled between them and Chris threw all caution to the wind and said, "Oh, what the hell..." and kissed Darren full on the mouth.

Darren whimpered and returned the kiss, shifting and melding his lips against his. Chris licked Darren's bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. Darren sighed and acquiesced.

Their tongues played a lazy game of hide and seek, both relishing how the other felt and tasted.

A few moments passed before the need to breathe caught up with them and they broke away reluctantly, already missing the contact and leaned their foreheads together in bliss.

Darren was the first one to break the silence.

"What. Was. That? What about my needing to get my head straight, pardon the pun?"

Chris sighed and said, "I know, and I apologize, but I wanted to give you something to think about and remember as you ponder your identity; something as a _comparison_, shall we say? Because I really care about you, too, Darren."

Darren said, "First off, no apologies are needed; do I _look_ upset? Remember, it takes two to tango, darlin'. Secondly, and more importantly, what if I need more examples? What then?" he asked with big puppy dog eyes.

Chris chuckled and replied, "Hmm, good question. Let's head to my place and we can discuss this further, shall we?"

Darren jumped up from the couch a little too enthusiastically and said, "LET'S GO!"

Chris laughed and said, "Whoa, slow down, Dare. Nothing's going to happen at my place, we're just going to talk, okay? If you think you're going to tap *this* tonight, think again. And for the record, something else for you to bear in mind as you muse on this subject, _**I**_ top, so choose wisely, young grasshopper," he said with a wicked grin.

That image beckoned to Darren like a siren's song and Chris thoroughly delighted in the shy smile Darren gave to him and the blush that dusted the raven-haired man's cheeks.

Darren offered his arm to Chris and together they left the studio and headed to Chris' apartment.

After a casual dinner of take out and sharing a bottle of wine, both felt ready to delve into what happened earlier.

Chris began by asking a question. "Has this ever happened before, Dare?"

"Has what happened before, Chris?"

"Don't play coy; have you ever been physically intimate with another man?"

Darren replied, "Well, once in college..."

Chris cut him off with, "Stop right there. If this is going to be a story about being wasted at a frat party and some guy sucked you off, that doesn't count!"

Darren cheekily replied, "What if it were the other way around, that *I* blew some guy while drunk at a party?"

Chris grinned and saucily replied, "Marginally better at best, Dare, at least to me, because it shows you're not passive. Wait, you said, "_if_." Did it happen or not or are you being clever with your words? And if it did happen, has it ever happened since then, drunk or sober?"

"Yes, it did happen and no, it has never happened again; never even crossed my mind," Darren replied, "until..."

"Okay then," Chris interrupted, reaching for his wine glass.

"Wait, you didn't let me finish," Darren pointed out.

"Sorry, continue."

"As I was saying, it never crossed my mind again, until recently...about you."

Chris had just taken a sip of wine when Darren said that and he choked and began coughing uncontrollably.

Darren took Chris into his arms, much as one would a child and slowly rubbed and patted his back in a soothing manner to help ease the spasms. "Hey, take deep breaths, Chris. Here, take a sip of water."

Chris did and he relaxed and allowed himself to be calmed. Surprisingly, it worked.

They stayed like this until Darren nuzzled Chris' neck with his lips, then with his nose, inhaling a combination of cologne and his own unique scent of _Chris_, which was driving Darren mad.

Without any real conscious thought, Chris returned Darren's affections, placing small kisses along his cheek and jaw, and then lifting his head up enough to kiss him on the lips, softly and gently.

Both of them sighed and moaned into the other's mouth, hands on each other's faces and deepened the kiss, wanting, no, _needing_ to be closer than close.

Darren breathed, "Baby, you taste so good..."

"You too, so much. God, Dare, what are we doing?"

"Let's just _be_, Chris, and not analyze it tonight, please? I know we still have things to talk about, but let's just have this moment, okay?"

Chris peppered Darren's face with small, quick pecks and silently agreed. He then gathered Darren in his arms and kissed him again, then laid them both down on the couch, facing each other.

Neither one could stop touching the other's face, fingers ghosting over their skins, or weaving their hands in each other's hair.

Darren mewled, "Your hair is so soft; I love how it feels, how it smells so damn good."

Chris also purred with pleasure and replied, "You too; of course, I prefer it without all this gel; I adore your curls, Dare. Hmm, I wonder if once Blaine transfers to McKinley next season if Ryan would be agreeable to let your hair grow out a bit. I may have to put a bug in his ear..." he chuckled.

Darren smiled at that and kissed Chris again, relishing the feel of their lips meeting and sliding against one another's so perfectly. _"Almost as if it were meant to be,"_ he thought to himself.

Chris was having similar thoughts but he still had reservations; he wanted to protect his heart, and Darren's also.

Darren sensed a tension still in Chris and stroked his cheek, saying, "I adore you, Chris, and we'll work it out. I promise. I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the world."

Chris' glasz eyes shimmered at his words and he replied, "Me too, Dare, oh so much."

They leaned in and kissed once more and Chris quietly asked, "Please stay here with me tonight? I just want us to hold each other and sleep here, curled up on the couch and we'll talk more tomorrow, all right?

Darren replied, "I thought you'd never ask. I'd love to. Here, be the little spoon," and Chris turned his back to Darren and curled into his stomach, their hands and legs intertwined.

Both let out a combined held breath and they quickly fell asleep, both knowing there were things to figure out, but for now, at least tonight, they were one.


End file.
